Rice must go through 88 steps before it is served on our table. In the past, white ssalbap(cooked rice) without mixed grains was a precious food that could only be seen on feast days, as it is a type of grain that required the utmost sincerity and effort. However, unlike in the past when “white rice with meat soup” was the best feast, cooked white rice now became the third wheel, following decreased rice consumption due to health problems. 
Is cooked rice really the problem? Let's clear up the misunderstandings about ssalbap, and look at the value of our table through health information on cooked white rice. 

Reference. Rural Development Administration

Steady decline in the consumption of Korean’s staple food, rice  

How much rice is consumed per person in Korea? According to the <2020 Grain Consumption Survey> released by Statistics Korea on January 28, 2021, a person consumes 57.7 kg per year, an average of 158 g per day. Considering that a bowl of rice is 100 g to 120 g of rice, it is equivalent to barely eating a bowl for half a day. Compared to the consumption of 128.1 kg of rice per person per year in 1985, the amount also decreased by nearly half. After reaching the peak in 1970, the Koreans’ rice consumption has been on a downward trend, which has continued for several decades due to changes in eating habits.
Interestingly, per capita consumption of meat has been increasing every year, reaching 54.3 kg in 2020, closely following rice consumption. It seems that it will not be long before meat will become the staple food, instead of rice.
 

Do “rice carbs” cause obesity?   

“Wrong information about rice” plays a significant role in the decrease in rice consumption. As the carb intake is pointed out as the cause of obesity and increased body fat, rice is being shunned as the main cause. Do rice carbs really cause obesity? In fact, testimonials about people successfully losing weight with the consumption of protein and fat foods and no carb food reinforces this belief. 
However, experts agree that protein and fat, along with carbs, are essential nutrients that our body needs, and must be consumed in appropriate amounts. This is because, if you drastically cut your carb intake to lose weight, it will cause a metabolic imbalance. Reducing carb intake can lead to decreased concentration, depression, and decreased muscle strength. While excessive intake of carbs can lead to obesity, on the contrary, if you eat too little, it can even interfere with the intake of other nutrients, which can actually break your biorhythm.
Moreover, in terms of food nutrition, carb consumed through rice have a long digestion time and a positive effect on weight control by giving a feeling of fullness, thus it is classified as “good carbs.” The real problem is refined carbs, such as sugar, fructose, and wheat flour, the consumption of which easily lead to obesity due to their high caloric content without all of the fiber and essential fatty acids.
Rice is beneficial in preventing obesity, since it has a 1/3 fat content compared to that of wheat with high carb and proteins. Thus, for weight loss, it is helpful to reduce the intake of refined carbs or added sugars, and increase the intake of high-quality grain carbs that are rich in dietary fiber.
 

Rice is a type of food that “prevents” diabetes, not “inducing” it  

Rice contains less protein than other grains, but has high-quality protein. Lysine content in rice, an essential amino acid, is about twice that of wheat flour and corn, while the amino acid value in rice, which is an indicator of protein quality, is 65, which is much higher than wheat flour with 44 or corn with 32. This “good protein” contained in rice is known to reduce blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Though it is a type of grain that is beneficial to health, there are still many people who regard rice as a type of food that causes diabetes. In 2018, the Rural Development Administration and Bundang Jesaeng Hospital drew plenty of attention when they announced the results of a clinical trial that would remove the false accusation against rice. Researchers conducted an experiment on two groups: healthy adults and pre-diabetic adults. They made the subjects consume bread, cooked white rice, cooked brown rice, and cooked germinated brown rice in such order, and measured the blood glucose rise and insulin concentration change in the healthy adult group, and the weight and waist circumference in the pre-diabetic adult group. The results showed that in the healthy adult group, blood glucose level decreased slowly with a low insulin secretion, and in the pre-diabetic group, weight, waist circumference, and triglyceride levels decreased. This experiment proved that the consumption of cooked rice is effective in preventing diabetes, and showed that the starch in rice is composed of polysaccharides, so digestion and absorption progress slowly, thereby stably maintaining insulin secretion.
The diabetes-preventing effect of rice takes precedence in comparison with wheat flour as well as other carb foods. This was confirmed through an overseas experiment on diabetic patients. In an experiment of checking blood glucose and insulin response after subjects ate rice, potatoes, corn, and white bread, respectively, rice showed a moderate increase in blood sugar and insulin secretion compared to other foods. Furthermore, many studies are currently underway to prove the various efficacies and values of rice around the world.
 

Rice that suppresses aging and cancer is also a “tonic” for the brain

According to the Korea Food Research Institute, the components included in rice, such as tocopherol, tocotrienol, and gamma oryzanol, increase antioxidant power and prevent aging by inhibiting biofilm damage and lipid peroxidation. This is the secret that the fat in rice is not easily oxidized. Moreover, the octacosanol component increases the endurance of the human body; the peptide component suppresses the increase in blood pressure; and phenolic acid, a major polyphenol compound contained in rice, can suppress memory impairment.
Rice is also a type of food that helps prevent cancer because phytic acid and arabinoxylan contained in rice or rice bran exhibit anticancer effects against mutagens. The studies on white rats have also been shown to delay or reduce the incidence of colorectal and breast cancer.
Cooked rice, which is rich in ingredients that support health, has always been an essential staple in the Korean diet. When eating rice, it is beneficial to eat vegetables than meat for brain development. Rice is eaten as grains and vegetables have plenty of fiber, so you have to chew them for a long time. Thus, rice and vegetable side dishes induce active movement of the masticatory muscles, thereby stimulating the frontal lobe to improve brain function. The brain of an adult is about 2.5% of the body weight, but the amount of blood flowing to the brain reaches 15% of the total, and glucose is the energy source for brain neurons. Thus, it is essential to consume an appropriate amount of carbs.  
In the past, rice was also used as medicine. In the old days, our ancestors made porridge with sticky rice, and ate it instead of medicine when they felt sick. Black rice was fed to those with weakened stomachs and livers to boost immunity. Rice was the basis for acquiring strength needed for daily life activities. The old sayings, “Rice is the tonic” and “Koreans’ strength comes from rice,” are not wrong.